JP5362853B2 - Access point terminal, wireless communication system, wireless communication method, program, and integrated circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

An access point terminal (1) includes: a wireless communication interface (11) which transmits and receives a wireless signal; a device information obtaining unit (10) which obtains supported frequency information through the wireless communication interface (11), the supported frequency information being for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal is capable of performing wireless communication; and a connection information distribution unit (12) which (i) selects a frequency band out of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the supported frequency information obtained by the device information obtaining unit (10) and (ii) distributes connection information to the wireless communication terminal through the wireless communication interface (11), the connection information being for causing the wireless communication terminal to perform the wireless communication in the selected frequency band.

Description

  The present invention relates to information processing technology, and more particularly to information processing technology for efficiently using bandwidth in wireless communication.

  In recent years, many devices compatible with wireless LAN have been commercialized, and various applications can be used easily and conveniently. In addition, with the advent of IEEE (Institut of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11n, high-speed and stable wireless communication has become possible. It is known that streaming can be performed.

  However, as the number of wireless LAN devices increases, the wireless band that can be used by the wireless LAN devices is compressed, and there are cases where the user cannot comfortably execute the service. In addition, since the 2.4 GHz band is an ISM (Industry Science Medical) band, there are many problems that radio interference occurs when various devices are used.

  For this reason, generally, a radio signal with high real-time characteristics such as a moving image uses a 5 GHz band with less interference. On the other hand, there is no problem in the 2.4 GHz band for content download or WEB browsing. However, if all the terminals are connected in the 5 GHz band because of less interference, this time, compression in the 5 GHz band occurs and the terminal falls. For this reason, it is preferable to use different operating frequencies for the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band according to the required real-time property of wireless communication.

  As a technique for efficiently using these wireless bands, for example, as shown in FIG. 25, the wireless IP telephones connected to the SSID are centrally managed, and below the threshold set for each of the plurality of SSIDs possessed by the access point. A line capture method for a wireless IP telephone service using a wireless LAN that controls a wireless band by limiting the amount of communication is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-214657 A

  However, in the efficient use of the wireless LAN band in the above-described conventional line acquisition method, the communication amount itself is similarly limited for all terminals. For this reason, an unnecessary band is given to a terminal that does not need a band, and a band cannot be appropriately given to a terminal that requires a band. In addition, since the radio band is generally not capable of being manipulated quantitatively, the restriction of the communication amount is not always effective.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an access point terminal capable of improving the efficiency of a radio band by connecting the terminal in an appropriate operating frequency band. And

  An access point terminal according to an aspect of the present invention performs wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal. Specifically, a wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals and device information acquisition for acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information acquired by the unit and the device information acquisition unit, and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band, A connection information distribution unit that distributes to the wireless communication terminal through a wireless communication interface.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to select an appropriate frequency band for each wireless communication terminal and distribute connection information of the selected frequency band. That is, the above access point terminal allocates a frequency band (for example, 5 GHz band) with less interference to a wireless communication terminal that requires high real-time performance for wireless communication, and other frequency bands (for example, 5 GHz band) to other wireless communication terminals. (2.4 GHz band) can be allocated.

  The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. You may transmit to an access point terminal. The device information acquisition unit may acquire, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmitting each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the wireless communication interface.

  According to the above configuration, there is no need to define a new radio signal for transmitting the corresponding frequency information, an appropriate frequency band is selected even for a conventional radio communication terminal, and connection information of the selected frequency band is displayed. Can be distributed.

  The wireless communication interface may further measure the magnitude of received power of each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received from the wireless communication terminal. The connection information distribution unit may select a frequency band having the maximum received power measured by the wireless communication interface from the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information.

  Thereby, it is possible to select the frequency band with the best reception state. That is, it is possible to select an appropriate operating frequency according to the communication environment.

  The wireless communication interface may further measure an interference state for each frequency band. The connection information distribution unit may select a frequency band in which the interference state measured by the wireless communication interface is lower than a predetermined threshold among the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information. Good.

  Thereby, it is possible to select the frequency band with the best reception state. That is, it is possible to select an appropriate operating frequency according to the communication environment.

  The wireless communication terminal may transmit a device information transmission signal including one desired frequency band desired to be used for wireless communication with the access point terminal to the access point terminal. The device information acquisition unit may acquire the desired frequency band included in the device information transmission signal received through the wireless communication interface as the corresponding frequency information.

  According to the above configuration, since communication in a frequency band desired to be used by each wireless communication terminal is permitted, it is possible to use a frequency band corresponding to the situation of each wireless communication terminal.

The wireless communication terminal may transmit a device information transmission signal including information indicating the type of the device itself to the access point terminal. The access point terminal may have a conversion table that holds information indicating the type and a frequency band assigned to the wireless communication terminal of the type in association with each other. The device information acquisition unit selects a frequency band corresponding to information indicating the type included in the device information transmission signal received through the wireless communication interface from among the frequency bands held in the conversion table. May be.

  A wireless communication terminal according to an aspect of the present invention performs wireless communication with an access point terminal using any of a plurality of frequency bands. Specifically, a radio signal is transmitted / received using each of the plurality of frequency bands, and a radio communication interface for measuring a reception status of each of the plurality of frequency bands is used for radio communication with the access point terminal. A device information transmission signal including a desired desired frequency band is transmitted to the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface, and connection information for performing wireless communication in the desired frequency band is transmitted through the wireless communication interface to the access point terminal. A device information exchange control unit obtained from And the said apparatus information exchange control part makes the desired frequency band the frequency band with the best receiving condition measured by the said radio | wireless communication interface among these frequency bands.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to communicate with the access point terminal in a frequency band that the wireless communication terminal desires to use.

The wireless communication system of the present invention includes an access point terminal and a wireless communication terminal. The access point terminal includes a first wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal, and corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. A device information acquisition unit acquired through the interface unit, and one of the one or more frequency bands indicated by the corresponding frequency information acquired by the device information acquisition unit is selected, and wireless communication is performed in the selected frequency band A connection information distribution unit that distributes connection information to the wireless communication terminal through the first wireless communication interface. The wireless communication terminal transmits a second wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal, and transmits the corresponding frequency information to the access point terminal through the second wireless communication interface, and transmits the connection information to the second communication interface. A device information exchange control unit that receives from the access point terminal through a wireless communication interface.

  A wireless communication method according to an aspect of the present invention is a method in which an access point terminal including a wireless communication interface that transmits and receives wireless signals performs wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal. Specifically, the corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication is acquired in the device information acquisition step and the device information acquisition step through the wireless communication interface. One of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information is selected, and connection information for performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is distributed to the wireless communication terminal through the wireless communication interface. Connection information distribution step.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication terminal that transmits and receives a wireless signal using each of a plurality of frequency bands and includes a wireless communication interface that measures a reception state of each of the plurality of frequency bands. A method of performing wireless communication with an access point terminal using any one of the plurality of frequency bands. Specifically, a device information transmission step of transmitting a device information transmission signal including a desired frequency band desired to be used for wireless communication with the access point terminal to the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface; A connection information acquisition step of acquiring connection information for performing wireless communication in a frequency band from the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface. In the device information transmission step, a frequency band having the best reception status measured by the wireless communication interface among the plurality of frequency bands is set as the desired frequency band.

  A program according to an embodiment of the present invention causes a computer including a wireless communication interface that transmits and receives wireless signals to perform wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal. Specifically, the corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication is acquired in the device information acquisition step and the device information acquisition step through the wireless communication interface. One of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information is selected, and connection information for performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is distributed to the wireless communication terminal through the wireless communication interface. The computer executes the connection information distribution step.

  A program according to another aspect of the present invention uses a plurality of frequencies in a computer including a wireless communication interface that transmits and receives a radio signal using each of a plurality of frequency bands and measures a reception status of each of the plurality of frequency bands. Wireless communication is performed with the access point terminal using one of the bands. Specifically, a device information transmission step of transmitting a device information transmission signal including a desired frequency band desired to be used for wireless communication with the access point terminal to the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface; A computer is caused to execute a connection information acquisition step of acquiring connection information for performing wireless communication in a frequency band from the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface. In the device information transmission step, a frequency band having the best reception status measured by the wireless communication interface among the plurality of frequency bands is set as the desired frequency band.

  An integrated circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention performs wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal. Specifically, a wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals and device information acquisition for acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information acquired by the unit and the device information acquisition unit, and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band, A connection information distribution unit that distributes to the wireless communication terminal through a wireless communication interface.

  An integrated circuit according to another aspect of the present invention performs wireless communication with an access point terminal using any of a plurality of frequency bands. Specifically, a radio signal is transmitted / received using each of the plurality of frequency bands, and a radio communication interface for measuring a reception status of each of the plurality of frequency bands is used for radio communication with the access point terminal. A device information transmission signal including a desired desired frequency band is transmitted to the access point terminal through the wireless communication interface, and connection information for performing wireless communication in the desired frequency band is transmitted through the wireless communication interface to the access point terminal. A device information exchange control unit obtained from And the said apparatus information exchange control part makes the desired frequency band the frequency band with the best receiving condition measured by the said radio | wireless communication interface among these frequency bands.

  According to the present invention, since the efficiency of the radio band can be improved by connecting the terminal in an appropriate operating frequency band, it is possible to provide a wireless LAN environment suitable for the use of the radio communication terminal.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a radio communication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram between the access point terminal and the wireless communication terminal in the connection information distribution process. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the device information transmission signal. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the details of the “Primary Device Type” of the device information transmission signal. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of a corresponding frequency band included in a device information transmission signal received from each wireless communication terminal. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating an example of a desired frequency band included in a device information transmission signal received from each wireless communication terminal. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of a conversion table that holds the device type of the wireless communication terminal and the operating frequency band in association with each other. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example of operating frequencies assigned to each wireless communication terminal based on the conversion table of FIG. 8A. FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of a conversion table that holds a category of a wireless communication terminal and an operating frequency in association with each other. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating an example of operating frequencies assigned to each wireless communication terminal based on the conversion table of FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication start request signal received by the access point terminal in the 2.4 GHz band. FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication start request signal received by the access point terminal in the 5 GHz band. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication start request signal for each frequency band and received power of each communication start request signal. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication start request signal and an interference state for each frequency band. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of communication terminal information held by the access point terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the SSID change of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication terminal information after the SSID movement held by the access point terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of communication terminal information held by the access point terminal according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the SSID change of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication terminal information after SSID movement held by the access point terminal according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the field structure of an IP packet. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the SSID change of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing SSID change of the access point terminal according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of a radio communication terminal according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing operations of the radio communication terminal according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the SSID change of the access point terminal in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a diagram for explaining the prior art.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration diagram of the wireless LAN system according to the first embodiment will be described. The wireless LAN system of the first embodiment includes an access point terminal 1 (hereinafter referred to as “AP”) and a plurality of wireless communication terminals 2 to 5 (hereinafter referred to as “STA”). It is assumed that the STAs 2 to 5 are connected in an infrastructure mode for performing communication under AP1 management. In the first embodiment, four STAs are used, but it goes without saying that the number of STAs does not depend on the number.

  The STAs 2 to 5 are assumed to be connected by a wireless LAN simple setting WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) proposed by the WFA (Wi-Fi Alliance) when connecting to the AP 1. In addition, even if it is not WPS, it is sufficient if it is a simple wireless LAN connection in which key exchange is automatically performed between AP1 and STAs 2 to 5, and AP1 distributes connection information to STAs 2 to 5. Needless to say.

  Further, it is assumed that AP1 is a device that can operate simultaneously in a plurality of frequency bands (for example, a 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz band). A plurality of channels (channels) exist in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, but the AP 1 according to the present embodiment is one channel (1 ch) of wireless communication in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. It is assumed that the wireless communication is performed with 36 channels (36 ch). The STAs 2 to 4 are devices that can select either the 2.4 GHz band or the 5 GHz band and connect to the channel of the frequency band in which the AP 1 is operating. On the other hand, STA5 is assumed to be a device that operates only in the 2.4 GHz band.

  When the STAs 2 to 4 execute WPS with the AP 1, the STAs 2 to 4 are connected to the AP 1 in the 5 GHz band with less interference. Since STA5 does not support the 5 GHz band, it is connected to AP1 in the 2.4 GHz band.

  The STAs 2 to 5 can perform various applications by performing communication under the management of the AP 1. For example, it is possible to execute services from the Internet via the AP 1 and applications such as DLNA between STAs.

  Next, the configuration of AP1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the AP 1 includes a wireless communication interface 11, a device information exchange control unit 10, a connection information distribution unit 12, a connection information management unit 13, a communication terminal management unit 9, and an SSID issue management unit. 7, a communication terminal status determination unit 6, and a frequency control unit 8.

  The wireless communication interface 11 is an interface for transmitting / receiving a wireless signal to / from a wireless communication terminal. That is, data generated by the device information exchange control unit 10 and the connection information distribution unit 12 is transmitted as radio signals to the STAs 2 to 5. Further, data is generated from the radio signals received from the STAs 2 to 5 and notified to the communication terminal status determination unit 6 and the device information exchange control unit 10. In addition, the reception state of the received radio signal or the reception state such as the interference state of each frequency band is measured. Further, the wireless communication interface 11 transmits a beacon signal to each wireless communication terminal managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 at predetermined time intervals.

  This beacon signal includes an SSID (Service Set IDentifier) assigned to a destination wireless communication terminal, and is transmitted using a frequency band used for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal. The SSID of each wireless communication terminal and the frequency band to be used are held in the communication terminal management unit 9.

  The device information exchange control unit (device information acquisition unit) 10 exchanges device information with a wireless communication terminal that newly requests the start of wireless communication. That is, the device information exchange control unit 10 transmits the device information of AP1 to the new wireless communication terminal and acquires the device information of the new wireless communication terminal.

  The connection information management unit 13 holds information necessary for the wireless communication terminal to perform wireless communication with the AP 1. Specifically, key information for encrypting / decrypting a radio signal is held for each frequency band. In the following example, description will be made assuming that 5 GHz band (first frequency band) key information and 2.4 GHz band (frequency band other than the first frequency band) key information are held.

  In the following description, the first frequency band is described as the 5 GHz band, and the frequency band other than the first frequency band is described as the 2.4 GHz band, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the first and second frequency bands may be different from each other. Typically, the first frequency band is a frequency band that is higher in frequency than other frequency bands and has less interference, but is not limited thereto. Further, three or more frequency bands may exist.

  The connection information distribution unit 12 transmits the connection information (key information) held in the connection information management unit 13 to a wireless communication terminal that newly requests the start of wireless communication. In addition, the selection method of the connection information to transmit is not specifically limited, For example, the method illustrated below can be used.

  For example, the connection information distribution unit 12 distributes all connection information held in the connection information management unit 13 to the wireless communication terminals, and which connection information (that is, which frequency band) is used to perform wireless communication. May be selected by the wireless communication terminal. Alternatively, the connection information distribution unit 12 may transmit only connection information corresponding to the frequency band used in the WPS process. Furthermore, when the acquired device information includes information indicating one or more frequency bands supported by the wireless communication terminal, the connection information distribution unit 12 selects from the one or more frequency bands. Only connection information corresponding to one frequency band may be transmitted.

  The communication terminal management unit 9 holds information on each wireless communication terminal that performs wireless communication with the AP 1. For example, the SSID assigned to the wireless communication terminal and the frequency band currently used for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal are held in association with each other. Details will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The SSID issuance management unit 7 assigns an SSID to a wireless communication terminal that newly requests the start of wireless communication. The SSID assignment method may be, for example, assigning a unique SSID for each wireless communication terminal, assigning a unique SSID for each category to which the wireless communication terminal belongs, or for each channel used by the wireless communication terminal. A unique SSID may be assigned.

  The communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines a communication status including the amount or quality of communication for each radio communication terminal by acquiring radio signals transmitted and received by each radio communication terminal.

  An example of the amount of communication is the amount of radio signal traffic. Further, as an example of communication quality, priority included in a radio signal, more specifically, ToS (Type of Service) included in an IP header, DSCP (DiffServ Code Point), or the like can be given.

  Furthermore, when receiving an application execution notification indicating that execution of an application that requires real-time performance higher than a predetermined value for wireless communication is received, it is determined that the communication status has exceeded a threshold value, and the predetermined value is set for wireless communication. When an application end notification is received indicating that the execution of an application that requires higher real-time performance has ended, it may be determined that the communication status has changed from a state above the threshold to a state below the threshold.

  The frequency control unit 8 executes a process of switching a frequency band used for wireless communication with each wireless communication terminal according to a communication state or the like. For example, when the communication terminal state determination unit 6 determines that the communication state of the wireless communication terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold, the first frequency band is used for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal, and the wireless terminal A frequency band other than the first frequency band is used for wireless communication with another wireless communication terminal to which an SSID different from the communication terminal is assigned.

  Specifically, the frequency band used for wireless communication with the wireless communication terminal to which the SSID is assigned is changed by changing the correspondence relationship between the SSID and the frequency band held in the communication terminal management unit 9. Can do.

  Next, the operation of the AP 1 when the start of wireless communication is requested from the STA 2 will be described using FIG. 3 and FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of connection information distribution processing. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram between AP1 and STA2 in the connection information distribution process. The same operation is performed when the start of wireless communication is requested by the STAs 3 to 5.

  First, AP1 receives an instruction from a user indicating that WPS is started with STA2 (S101). Specifically, when a button (WPS start button) provided on each of AP1 and STA2 is pressed, STA2 transmits a communication start request signal (Probe Request) to AP1.

  This process is a process in which the STA 2 searches for an AP 1 that is a communication partner, and corresponds to Step 1 in FIG. Specifically, the STA 2 transmits a communication start request signal to all channels in the 5 GHz band and all channels in the 2.4 GHz band.

  On the other hand, AP1 receives the communication start request signal of the channel used by AP1 among the communication start request signals transmitted from STA2 in the 5 GHz band, and transmits a communication start response signal (Probe Response) to STA2. Similarly, AP1 receives a communication start request signal of a channel used by AP1 among communication start request signals transmitted from STA2 in the 2.4 GHz band, and transmits a communication start response signal to STA2. Note that the corresponding communication start request signal and communication start response signal are transmitted and received using the same frequency band and the same channel.

  If the WPS start button provided in AP1 is pressed, AP1 transmits a communication start response signal with a PBC flag indicating that the WPS start button has been pressed. On the other hand, the STA2 determines that AP1 that is the transmission source of the communication start response signal with the PBC flag set is a communication partner, and executes Step 2 of FIG. 4 with the AP1.

  In step 2 of FIG. 4, a message conforming to EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN) is transmitted and received between AP1 and STA2. Here, detailed description of the entire EAPOL will be omitted, and description will be made centering on portions deeply related to the present invention.

  The device information exchange control unit 10 of AP1 acquires device information of STA2 by exchanging device information necessary for distributing connection information with STA2 (S102) (S102). The acquired device information is held for each of the STAs 2 to 5 in the communication terminal management unit 9 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the STA2 includes various information of its own terminal in the device information transmission signal (M1 message) in FIG. 4 and transmits it to the AP1. 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating a data structure of the device information transmission signal. Needless to say, a message transmitted from the STA may be used instead of the M1 message.

  The device information transmission signal includes, for example, uuid (Universally Unique Identifier) uniquely assigned to each device, device type (Primary Device Type), and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the device type includes categories such as “Computer”, “Displays”, and “Multimedia Devices”, and categories such as “Television” and “PVR (Personal Video Recorder)”. Is specified in combination with a subcategory (Sub Category) obtained by subdividing.

  In this embodiment, a new item (“New Field” in FIG. 5) is added to the conventional device information transmission signal, and “category”, “corresponding frequency band”, “desired frequency band” are added to the item. Such information may be set. However, these items are not essential and can be omitted.

  Specific examples of categories are “Voice”, “Video”, “BestEffort”, “Back Ground”, and the like. Information for specifying one or more frequency bands (2.4 GHz band / 5 GHz band) in which the STA 2 can perform wireless communication is set in the corresponding frequency band. In the desired frequency band, information for specifying a frequency band (2.4 GHz band / 5 GHz band) that the STA 2 wants to use for wireless communication with the AP 1 is set.

  After acquiring the device information of the STA2, the device information exchange control unit 10 of the AP1 executes a predetermined key exchange in accordance with the WPS standard (S103). The key exchanged here is a temporary key for encrypting / decrypting the connection information distributed in S105, and the key for encrypting / decrypting the actual radio signal is included in the connection information.

  When the predetermined key exchange ends normally (Yes in S103), the SSID issue management unit 7 of AP1 issues an SSID to the STA2 and registers it in the connection information management unit 13 (S104). Note that the SSID issue management unit 7 in Embodiment 1 assigns a unique SSID to each of the STAs 2 to 5. The assigned SSID is held in the communication terminal management unit 9 in association with the device information of the STA 2 acquired by the device information exchange control unit 10.

  Thereafter, the connection information distribution unit 12 of AP1 distributes connection information for connecting to AP1 to STA2 together with the SSID assigned to STA2 (S105). Specifically, AP1 transmits the connection information distribution signal (M8 message) in FIG. 4 including the connection information including the SSID to STA2. By adopting this method, it is possible to assign different SSIDs to STAs 2 to 5.

  Here, AP1 allocates a channel (operating frequency) of 5 GHz band or 2.4 GHz band to STA2 to STA5 which are transmission sources of the communication start request signal, and distributes connection information corresponding to the allocated channel. Specifically, the AP 1 corresponds to the corresponding frequency information received from each of the STA 2 to STA 5 (“corresponding frequency band”, “desired frequency band”, “device type”, and “category” described below). ) To allocate channels. Hereinafter, channel assignment processing by AP1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7A to 12.

  As a first allocation method, AP1 can allocate channels based on the “corresponding frequency band” included in the device information transmission signal received from each of STA2 to STA5. The corresponding frequency band is an item for setting one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. The radio communication terminal according to the present embodiment sets all frequency bands supported by the own apparatus to the corresponding frequency bands.

  For example, FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of a corresponding frequency band included in the device information transmission signal received from STA2 to STA5. In FIG. 7A, “1” indicates that the frequency band is supported, and “0” indicates that the frequency band is not supported. A column surrounded by a thick frame indicates a frequency band to which a channel assigned to each wireless communication terminal belongs.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, AP1 assigns a 5 GHz band channel to STA2 and STA3 corresponding to both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. AP1 assigns a 5 GHz band channel to STA4 that supports only the 5 GHz band. Furthermore, AP1 assigns a 2.4 GHz band channel to STA5 that supports only the 2.4 GHz band. That is, in the example of FIG. 7A, a 5 GHz band channel is assigned to a wireless communication terminal that supports the 5 GHz band, and a 2.4 GHz band channel is assigned to a wireless communication terminal that does not support the 5 GHz band.

  As a second allocation method, the AP 1 can allocate channels based on “desired frequency bands” included in the device information transmission signals received from the STAs 2 to 5. The desired frequency band is an item for setting a frequency band that the wireless communication terminal wants to use for wireless communication with AP1. The radio communication terminal according to the present embodiment may set a predetermined frequency band as the desired frequency band, or set the frequency band with the best reception status (reception power or interference state described later) as the desired frequency band. It may be set.

  For example, FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating an example of a desired frequency band included in the device information transmission signal received from STA2 to STA5. In FIG. 7A, “1” indicates that the use of the frequency band is desired. Further, a column surrounded by a thick frame indicates a frequency band of a channel assigned to each wireless communication terminal.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, AP1 assigns a 5 GHz band channel to STA2 to STA4 that wants the 5 GHz band. On the other hand, AP1 assigns a 2.4 GHz band channel to STA5 that desires a 2.4 GHz band channel. That is, in the example of FIG. 7B, a channel of a frequency band desired by the wireless communication terminal is allocated.

  As a third assignment method, AP1 assigns channels based on “device type (combination of category and subcategory in FIG. 6)” included in the device information transmission signal received from each of STAs 2 to 5. it can. In this case, AP1 needs to hold a conversion table as shown in FIG. 8A in advance. This conversion table may be held fixedly or may be held so that the user can change it. The conversion table shown in FIG. 8A holds the device type of the wireless communication terminal and the frequency band of the channel assigned to the wireless communication terminal of the device type in association with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, AP1 assigns a 2.4 GHz band channel to STA2 whose category is “Computer” and whose subcategory is “PC”. Similarly, AP1 acquires the frequency band corresponding to the device type of STA3 to STA5 from FIG. 8A, and assigns the channel of the acquired frequency band to each of STA3 to STA5.

  As a fourth assignment method, AP1 can assign channels based on “category” included in the device information transmission signal received from each of STAs 2 to 5. In this case, AP1 needs to hold a conversion table as shown in FIG. 9A in advance. The conversion table illustrated in FIG. 9A holds a category of a wireless communication terminal and a frequency band of a channel assigned to the wireless communication terminal of the category in association with each other. This conversion table may be held fixedly or may be held so that the user can change it.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, AP1 assigns a 2.4 GHz band channel to STA2 whose category is “Best Effort”. Similarly, AP1 acquires the frequency bands corresponding to the categories of STA3 to STA5 from FIG. 9A, and assigns the channels of the acquired frequency bands to STA3 to STA5, respectively.

  As a modification of the first assignment method, AP1 may acquire the corresponding frequency band of each wireless communication terminal from the communication start request signal. With reference to FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B, the method to acquire the corresponding frequency band of STA2-STA5 from a communication start request signal is demonstrated.

  As described above, the STA2 transmits a communication start request signal to all channels in the corresponding frequency band. Further, the same MAC address (MAC-A) is set in all communication start request signals transmitted by the STA2. The same applies to STA3 to STA5.

  10A and 10B, AP1 receives the communication start request signal in which MAC-A is set in the MAC address in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. It is determined that both the 4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band are supported. The same applies to STA3 and STA4. On the other hand, the AP 1 determines that the STA 5 is compatible only with the 2.4 GHz band by receiving the communication start request signal with the MAC address set to MAC-D only in the 2.4 GHz band.

  Thus, by grasping the corresponding frequency band of each wireless communication terminal using the communication start request signal, it is not necessary to add a new item to the device information transmission signal as in the first allocation method. Play.

  In addition to the modification of the first assignment method, AP1 may assign a channel in consideration of the magnitude of the reception power of the communication start request signal. The “reception power (dBm)” is a value that can be measured by the wireless communication interface 11 of the AP 1 and corresponds to, for example, RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indication).

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, AP1 measures the received power of the communication start request signal received from each of STA2 to STA5 in the channel for each frequency band in which the AP is operating. Since RSSI varies depending on the positional relationship between AP1 and each wireless communication terminal, it is necessary to individually measure received power for all communication start request signals. In FIG. 11, “1” indicates that a communication start request signal is received at the frequency. Further, a column surrounded by a thick frame indicates a frequency band of a channel assigned to each wireless communication terminal.

  And AP1 allocates the channel of the frequency band with the largest received power with respect to the radio | wireless communication terminal corresponding to a some frequency band. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, AP1 allocates a 5 GHz band channel with a large reception power to STA2 that supports both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. Similarly, the AP 1 assigns a 2.4 GHz band channel with a large reception power to the STA 3 that supports both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. On the other hand, AP1 assigns a channel of a corresponding frequency band to STA4 and STA5 that support only one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band regardless of the magnitude of the reception power.

  As described above, by assigning a channel of a frequency band having a larger received power among the corresponding frequency bands, an appropriate frequency band can be selected according to the communication environment. In addition, although the example which combined the modification of the 1st allocation method and received power was demonstrated here, it is not restricted to this, The 1st allocation method, the 3rd allocation method, or the 4th allocation method And the same effect can be obtained by combining the received power.

  Furthermore, in addition to the modification of the first allocation method, AP1 may allocate channels in consideration of the interference state of each frequency band. The “interference state” is a value that can be measured by the wireless communication interface 11 of the AP 1. For example, a PER (Packet Error Ratio) of a signal (packet) received in a channel for each frequency band in which the AP operates. Can be measured. The PER can be calculated based on, for example, CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) of a glitch or PLCP (Physical Layer Convergence Protocol) header.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, AP1 receives a communication start request signal from each of STA2 to STA5 and measures the interference state of each frequency band. That is, when the PER of a packet received in the 2.4 GHz band is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, AP1 determines that the interference state is bad (interference frequently occurs / shown as “High” in FIG. 12). To do. On the other hand, when the PER of a packet received in the 5 GHz band is lower than a predetermined threshold, AP1 determines that the interference state is good (not much interference has occurred / denoted as “Low” in FIG. 12). The interference state may be measured with an arbitrary signal transmitted in each frequency band, unlike the above-described received power. Further, the threshold value for each frequency band may be the same, or may be set individually for each frequency band.

  And AP1 allocates the channel of the frequency band whose interference state is lower than a threshold value to the radio communication terminal corresponding to a plurality of frequency bands. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, AP1 assigns a 5 GHz band channel whose interference state is lower than the threshold to STA2 and STA3 corresponding to both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. On the other hand, AP1 assigns a channel in the corresponding frequency band to STA4 and STA5 that support only one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band regardless of the interference state.

  In this way, by assigning a channel in a frequency band with a low interference state, it is possible to select a channel in an appropriate frequency band according to the communication environment. In addition, although the example which combined the modification of the 1st allocation method, and the interference state was demonstrated here, it is not restricted to this, The 1st allocation method, the 3rd allocation method, or the 4th allocation method The same effect can be obtained by combining the interference state. Further, the received power and the interference state may be combined.

  When all of the STAs 2 to 5 shown in FIG. 1 are connected to AP1, communication terminal information managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 of AP1 is as shown in FIG. 13, for example. Note that “MAC” shown in FIG. 13 is information for identifying each of the STAs 2 to 5, and for example, a MAC address can be used. “Device type” is information (subcategory in FIG. 6 in this example) included in the device information acquired from each of the STAs 2 to 5 and indicates the type of each STA 2 to 5 (Television, PVR, PC, etc.). “Category” indicates real-time properties (Video, BestEffort, etc.) required for wireless communication in applications executed by the STAs 2 to 5. “SSID” is an SSID issued to each of the STAs 2 to 5 by the SSID issue management unit 7. “Band” is a frequency band (5 GHz band / 2.4 GHz band) currently used for wireless communication with each of the STAs 2 to 5. The “channel” is a channel currently used for wireless communication with each of the STAs 2 to 5. In FIG. 13, “36” indicates 36 channels, and “1” indicates one channel.

  “5 GHz Flg” indicates whether or not each of the STAs 2 to 5 has a record of performing wireless communication with the AP 1 in the 5 GHz band (1 if present, 0 if not present). “OldBand” indicates a frequency band used immediately before the frequency band indicated by “Band”. 13 shows a state immediately after the STAs 2 to 5 are connected to the AP 1, information is not registered in “OldBand”.

  Referring to FIG. 13, as communication terminal information of the STA 2, the communication terminal management unit 9 has “MAC-A” as the MAC, “Television” as the device type, “Video” as the category, and “SSID” as the SSID. -A "," 5 GHz "in Band," 36 "in channel," 1 "in 5 GHz Flg, and"-(unregistered) "in OldBand are registered.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as communication terminal information of the STA 3, “MAC-B” for MAC, “PVR” for device type, “Video” for category, “SSID-B” for SSID, “5 GHz” is registered in the Band, “36” is registered in the channel, “1” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the Old Band.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as the communication terminal information of the STA 4, “MAC-C” as the MAC, “PC” as the device type, “BestEffort” as the category, and “SSID-C” as the SSID, “5 GHz” is registered in the Band, “36” is registered in the channel, “1” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the Old Band.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as the communication terminal information of the STA 5, "MAC-D" for MAC, "PVR" for device type, "Video" for category, and "SSID-D" for SSID, “2.4 GHz” is registered in the band, “1” is registered in the channel, “0” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the old band. Since STA5 does not support the 5 GHz band, the operating frequency is the 2.4 GHz band.

  In addition, AP1 judges the real-time property requested | required for radio | wireless communication in the application which each STA2-5 performs by referring the device classification or category shown by FIG. The device type and category are both information indicating the type of wireless communication terminal.

  For example, the AP 1 determines that the application executed by the STAs 2, 3, and 5 whose device information is “Television” or “PVR” requires higher real-time performance for wireless communication than the STA 4 belonging to “PC”. For example, in the conversion table shown in FIG. 8A, the application executed by the wireless communication terminal of the device information associated with the 5 GHz band is more than the application executed by the wireless communication terminal of the device information associated with the 2.4 GHz band. Therefore, it can be determined that high real-time performance is required for wireless communication.

  In addition, the AP 1 determines that the application executed by the STAs 2, 3, and 5 belonging to the “Video” category requires higher real-time performance for wireless communication than the application executed by the STA 4 belonging to “BestEffort”. For example, in the conversion table shown in FIG. 9A, an application executed by a wireless communication terminal of a category associated with a 5 GHz band is more wireless than an application executed by a wireless communication terminal of a category associated with a 2.4 GHz band. It can be determined that high real-time performance is required for communication.

  Needless to say, the device type and category are not limited to the above example, and any identification information may be used. Further, regarding categories, AP1 may perform category classification independently based on the device type from STA2. For example, when the device type (subcategory in FIG. 6) acquired from STA2 is “Television” or “PVR”, an application that requires real-time performance is often executed, so AP1 sets the category of STA2 to “Video”. You may judge that there is. This time, the category is adjusted to the access category (Voice, Video, BestEffort, BackGround) defined by WiFi, but it goes without saying that the category may be other than this.

  Next, the operation of AP1 when the operating frequency of each of STAs 2 to 5 is moved will be described using the flowchart of FIG. This time, for example, it is assumed that STA2 starts to watch VoD from the Internet.

  The communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP 1 constantly monitors the traffic of the STAs 2, 3, and 5 in the Video category among the STAs 2 to 5 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9. Specifically, “MAC-A”, “MAC-B”, or “MAC-D” is set in either the transmission source MAC address or the transmission destination MAC address in the frame received by AP1. Detect frame traffic.

  When the STA2 starts VoD, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP1 detects that the STA2 is performing communication at a speed exceeding 5 Mbps (threshold), for example (S201). Here, it is assumed that STA2 has started communication exceeding 5 Mbps, and the subsequent processing will be described.

  In S201, the threshold is set to 5 Mbps, but the specific value is not limited to this, and an appropriate value may be set depending on the communication capability of the network, the type of application to be executed, and the like. Needless to say, the threshold value may be a speed or a communication amount as long as it can be determined that the corresponding STA2 is executing an application.

  Next, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines whether or not this communication is being performed in the 5 GHz band (S202). If it is the 5 GHz band (Yes in S202), the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP1 selects one of the STAs 3 to 5 other than the STA2 based on the communication terminal information held in the communication terminal management unit 9. The frequency control unit 8 is instructed to move the STAs 2 and 3 to which the 5 GHz band is assigned to the 2.4 GHz band. More specifically, among the STAs 2 to 4 that perform wireless communication using the 5 GHz band, the operating frequencies of the STAs 3 and 4 to which the SSID different from the SSID assigned to the STA 2 (SSID-A) is assigned are 2 Move to 4 GHz band.

  Although a new frequency band in which the STAs 3 and 4 operate is specified here, the channel may be arbitrarily determined. For example, a vacant channel may be designated, or a channel used by an already connected STA 5 may be used.

  Thereafter, the communication terminal information managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 of AP1 is updated as shown in FIG. Specifically, in the case of the first embodiment, Bands of communication terminal information of STAs 3 and 4 that are assigned SSID-B and SSID-C different from SSID-A and operate in the 5 GHz band, “5 GHz” is changed to “2.4 GHz”. In this case, the STAs 3 and 4 are assigned to use the same channel as the STA 5 in the 2.4 GHz band, and the channel of the communication terminal information is changed from “36” to “1”.

  Referring to FIG. 15, in the communication terminal information of STA2 managed by communication terminal management unit 9, OldBand is updated from “−” to “5 GHz”. The communication terminal information of the STA 3 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 is that the band is changed from “5 GHz” to “2.4 GHz”, the channel is changed from “36” to “1”, and the old band is changed from “−” to “ It has been updated to “5 GHz”. The communication terminal information of the STA 4 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 includes a band from “5 GHz” to “2.4 GHz”, a channel from “36” to “1”, and an Old Band from “−” to “−”. It has been updated to “5 GHz”. Further, in the communication terminal information of the STA 5 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9, the Old Band is updated from “−” to “2.4 GHz”.

  When the value of Band associated with SSID-B and SSID-C held in communication terminal management unit 9 is changed, wireless communication interface 11 renews a beacon signal including SSID-B and SSID-C. Transmission using a wide frequency band (that is, 2.4 GHz band).

  On the other hand, even if STA3 and STA4 monitor the beacon signal in the 5 GHz band thereafter, they cannot receive the beacon signal including the SSID assigned thereto. Therefore, the STAs 3 and 4 start roaming. When roaming is performed, since a beacon signal including its own SSID can be detected in the 2.4 GHz band, the STAs 3 and 4 are reconnected to the AP 1 in the 2.4 GHz band.

  When the STA2 executes an application that requires real-time performance by the AP1 taking the above-described technique, the STA3 and 4 that do not execute the application and the STA5 that executes the application that does not require real-time performance are 2.4 GHz. Move to the belt. As a result, the STA2 can execute an application without being compressed in the band.

  Next, in order to explain the operations after S204, it is assumed that the STA 3 that has moved to the 2.4 GHz band has executed an application that requires real-time performance, as shown in FIG.

  When the communication terminal status determination unit 6 detects that the STA3 of the Video category is performing wireless communication at a speed exceeding 5 Mbps (Yes in S201), is the STA3 operating in the 5 GHz band or using the 2.4 GHz band? It is then determined whether wireless communication is being performed (S202). In this example, the STA 3 performs wireless communication using the 2.4 GHz band (Yes in S202).

  Next, the frequency control unit 8 of the AP 1 confirms the 5 GHz Flg of the STA 3 and confirms whether there is a history of connection to the AP 1 in the 5 GHz band (S204). Since STA3 has a history of AP1 connection in the 5 GHz band (Flg is 1), it is determined that it has an element that can be connected to the 5 GHz band (Yes in S204). Then, the frequency control unit 8 changes the operating frequency assigned to the STA 3 from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5 GHz band (S205).

  Next, the frequency control unit 8 of the AP 1 performs wireless communication using the 5 GHz band, and moves the STA 2 assigned with an SSID different from the SSID assigned to the STA 3 (SSID-B) to the 2.4 GHz band. (S203). Since the details of the specific processing have already been described, a description thereof will be omitted.

  Here, the frequency control unit 8 further causes the communication terminal status determination unit 6 to determine the communication status of the STA2, and determines whether to move the STA2 from the 5 GHz band to the 2.4 GHz band according to the determination result. May be. For example, if STA2 is continuously executing an application that requires real-time performance (that is, wireless communication is performed at a speed exceeding 5 Mbps), it may be configured not to move to the 2.4 GHz band. Good.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the processing of another wireless communication terminal that is already executing an application that requires real-time performance from being interrupted by one wireless communication terminal that has started executing an application that requires real-time performance. can do.

  On the other hand, if there is no history of connection of STA3 in the 5 GHz band (No in S204), it is determined that STA3 does not have a function of connecting to the 5 GHz band, and the SSID is not moved. Alternatively, the processing in S204 may be omitted and communication in the 5 GHz band may be attempted regardless of the value of 5 GHz Flg. Thereby, although the function of performing wireless communication in the 5 GHz band is implemented, even a wireless communication terminal that has never actually performed communication in the 5 GHz band can be moved to the 5 GHz band.

  Also, in the first embodiment, when the communication terminal status determination unit 6 detects that the packet communication amount of the STA 2 has changed from a state exceeding the threshold to a state below the threshold, the moved SSID-B and The operating frequency of SSID-C may be returned to the 5 GHz band.

  By adopting the above method, even if the STAs 3 and 4 have moved to the 2.4 GHz band, the application can return to the 5 GHz band when an application that requires real-time performance is executed. For this reason, an application can be executed with less influence from interference. Further, since the above processing uses the roaming function of the STAs 2 to 4, it can be realized by installing this function only on the AP1 side. For this reason, it is easy to execute replacement from an existing device.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is in the way of assigning the SSID of AP1. Specifically, the SSID issuance management unit 7 assigns a unique SSID to each STA 2 to 5 in the first embodiment, whereas in the second embodiment, a unique SSID is assigned to each category to which each STA 2 to 5 belongs. Is different in assigning. Hereinafter, detailed description of points common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

  As in the first embodiment, AP1 first starts WPS or the like with STA2 (S101), and acquires device information of STA2 (S102). This device information includes, for example, uuid, device type, or category that can be uniquely assigned to each of the STAs 2 to 5.

  For example, specific examples of the device type include “Television”, “PVR”, “PC”, and the like. Specific examples of categories include “Video” and “BestEffort”. Needless to say, any identification information may be used for the device type and category.

  Furthermore, regarding categories, AP1 may perform category classification based on information from STA2. For example, when the device type of STA2 is “Television” or “PVR”, an application that requires real-time performance is often executed, so AP1 may determine that the category of STA2 is “Video”. This time, the category is adjusted to the access category (Voice, Video, BestEffort, BackGround) defined by WiFi, but it goes without saying that the category may be other than this.

  After acquiring the device information of these STAs 2, key exchange in accordance with the WPS standard is executed (S103). When the predetermined key exchange is completed, the SSID issue management unit 7 of AP1 issues a different SSID for each category to the STA2 and registers it in the connection information management unit 13 (S104). Thereafter, connection information for connecting to AP1 is distributed to STA2 (S105). By adopting this method, it becomes possible to assign different SSIDs for each category.

  That is, in S104 of FIG. 3, in the first embodiment, a unique SSID is assigned to each of the STAs 2 to 5, whereas in the second embodiment, a unique SSID is assigned to each category to which each STA 2 to 5 belongs. Is different. Other processes (S101 to S103, S105) in FIG. 3 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  When all of the STAs 2 to 5 shown in FIG. 1 are connected to AP1, the communication terminal information managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 of AP1 is as shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 16, as communication terminal information of the STA 2, the communication terminal management unit 9 has “MAC-A” as the MAC, “Television” as the device type, “Video” as the category, and “SSID” as the SSID. “−A”, “5 GHz” in Band, “1” in 5 GHz Flg, and “-” in Old Band are registered.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as the communication terminal information of the STA 3, “MAC-B” for the MAC, “PVR” for the device type, “Video” for the category, “SSID-A” for the SSID, “5 GHz” is registered in the Band, “36” is registered in the channel, “1” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the Old Band.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as the communication terminal information of the STA 4, “MAC-C” as the MAC, “PC” as the device type, “BestEffort” as the category, and “SSID-C” as the SSID, “5 GHz” is registered in the Band, “36” is registered in the channel, “1” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the Old Band.

  Further, in the communication terminal management unit 9, as the communication terminal information of the STA 5, "MAC-D" for MAC, "PVR" for device type, "Video" for category, and "SSID-B" for SSID, “2.4 GHz” is registered in the band, “1” is registered in the channel, “0” is registered in the 5 GHz Flg, and “−” is registered in the old band. Since STA5 does not support the 5 GHz band, the operating frequency (Band) is in the 2.4 GHz band. For this reason, the category of STA 5 is “Video”, but “SSID-B” is assigned instead of “SSID-A” which is the same as STA 2 and 3.

  Next, the operation of AP1 when the operating frequency is moved will be described using the flowchart of FIG. This time, for example, it is assumed that STA2 starts to view VoD from the Internet.

  The communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP 1 constantly monitors the traffic of the STAs 2, 3, and 5 in the Video category among the STAs 2 to 5 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 (S301).

  When the STA2 starts VoD, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP1 detects that the STA2 is communicating at a speed exceeding 5 Mbps (threshold), for example (Yes in S301). Needless to say, this threshold value may be determined so long as it can be determined that the corresponding STA 2 is executing the application, regardless of the speed or the traffic.

  Next, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines whether or not this communication is being performed in the 5 GHz band (S302). If it is the 5 GHz band (Yes in S302), the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of AP1 sets the frequency band to be used for STA4 of a category other than STA2 from the communication terminal information of the communication terminal management unit 9 to 5 GHz. The frequency control unit 8 is instructed to switch from the band to the 2.4 GHz band. Although the frequency band is specified here, the channel may be arbitrarily determined. For example, a vacant channel may be designated, or a channel in which another STA 5 already connected exists.

  In the case of the second embodiment, specifically, SSID-C assigned to STA4 and operating in the 5 GHz band is changed to operate in the 2.4 GHz band. That is, the Band corresponding to SSID-C of STA4 is changed from “5 GHz band” to “2.4 GHz band”. Thereby, the communication terminal information managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 of AP1 is updated as shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 18, in the communication terminal information of STA2 managed by communication terminal management unit 9, OldBand is updated from “−” to “5 GHz band”. In the communication terminal information of the STA 3 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9, the Old Band is updated from “−” to “5 GHz band”. The communication terminal information of the STA 4 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9 is that the band is changed from “5 GHz band” to “2.4 GHz band”, the channel is changed from “36” to “1”, and the Old Band is “−”. To “5 GHz band”. Further, in the communication terminal information of the STA 5 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9, the Old Band is updated from “−” to “2.4 GHz band”.

  Thereafter, STA4 cannot receive a beacon signal including STA-C in the 5 GHz band, and therefore starts roaming. When roaming is performed, a beacon signal including SSID-C can be detected in the 2.4 GHz band, so STA4 is reconnected to AP1 in the 2.4 GHz band.

  In the second embodiment, when the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP 1 does not detect a certain amount of packet communication of the STA 2, the operating frequency of the moved SSID-C is set to “2.4 GHz band. ”To“ 5 GHz band ”.

  By adopting the above-described method, the AP 1 can divide the STAs 2, 3, and 5 that execute applications that require real-time performance into categories, so that the frequency band of the wireless LAN can be divided. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of image distortion or speed reduction due to band compression. Furthermore, since the roaming function of the STAs 2 to 5 is used, the threshold for introduction is low.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in a specific method for determining whether or not the STAs 2, 3, and 5 in the Video category have executed an application that requires real-time properties. Specifically, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines whether or not the amount of wireless communication exceeds the threshold in the first embodiment, whereas the priority of communication data sets the threshold in the third embodiment. The point which judges whether it exceeded is different. Hereinafter, detailed description of points common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

  The third embodiment will describe in detail a specific process in which the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines that the STA 2 has executed an application that requires real-time performance. Other processing operations of AP1 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 20, communication terminal status determination unit 6 of AP 1 detects the priority of communication packets of STAs 2, 3, and 5 of Video category among STAs 2 to 5 managed by communication terminal management unit 9. As always monitored.

  Examples of detection targets include a 1) ToS (Type of Service) field or 2) a DSCP field indicating the priority of the IP packet shown in FIG. These are fields that represent the priority of the IP packet, and if it is ToS, eight priorities can be represented. The priority of the video stream defined by WiFi or the like is expressed as 5.

  When STA2 starts VoD, priority is added to the ToS field of the IP header of a packet in which the IP address of STA2 is set as the destination address. Then, it is detected whether or not the priority is a certain rule (for example, 5 or more) (S401). Needless to say, the priority is not limited to 5 or more as long as it conforms to the system and standards. Needless to say, it is only necessary to be able to determine that the corresponding STA2 is executing the application.

  Thereafter, the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed so that the STA2 that has executed the application having a high real-time property operates in the 5 GHz band, and the other STAs 3 to 5 operate in the 2.4 GHz band. The correspondence relationship between the SSID of the communication terminal management unit 9 and the operating frequency is changed.

  In the third embodiment, when the STA2 packet to which the priority is added is not detected for a certain period, the operating frequencies of the moved SSID-B and SSID-C are set to “2.4 GHz band”. May be returned to “5 GHz band”.

(Embodiment 4)
The fourth embodiment is different from the second embodiment in a specific method for determining whether or not the STAs 2, 3, and 5 in the Video category have executed an application that requires real-time property. Specifically, the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines whether or not the amount of wireless communication exceeds the threshold in the second embodiment, whereas the priority of communication data sets the threshold in the fourth embodiment. The point which judges whether it exceeded is different. In the following, detailed description of common points with the second embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences.

  In the fourth embodiment, a specific process in which the communication terminal status determination unit 6 determines that the communication terminal status determination unit 6 has executed that the STA 2 has executed an application that requires real-time performance will be described in detail. Other processing operations of AP1 are the same as those in the second embodiment.

  The communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP 1 constantly monitors the priority of communication packets of the STAs 2, 3, and 5 of the Video category among the STAs 2 to 5 managed by the communication terminal management unit 9.

  Examples of detection targets include a 1) ToS (Type of Service) field or 2) a DSCP field indicating the priority of the IP packet shown in FIG. These are fields that represent the priority of the IP packet, and if it is ToS, eight priorities can be represented. The priority of the video stream defined by WiFi or the like is expressed as 5.

  When STA2 starts VoD, priority is added to the ToS field of the IP header of a packet in which the IP address of STA2 is set as the destination address. Then, it is detected whether or not the priority is a certain rule (for example, 5 or more) (S401). Needless to say, the priority is not limited to 5 or more as long as it conforms to the system and standards. Needless to say, it is only necessary to be able to determine that the corresponding STA2 is executing the application.

  Thereafter, the same processing as that of the second embodiment is performed, and the STA2 and the STA3 belonging to the same category as the STA2 that executed the application having high real-time characteristics are operated in the 5 GHz band, and the other STAs 4 and 5 are 2 The correspondence relationship between the SSID and the Band of the communication terminal management unit 9 is changed so as to operate in the 4 GHz band.

  Further, in the fourth embodiment, when the packet of STA2 to which priority is added is not detected for a certain period, the operating frequency of the moved SSID-C is changed from “2.4 GHz band” to “5 GHz band”. You may return to.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, the fifth embodiment will be described. First, the configuration of the wireless communication terminal (STA) 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The STA 2 in the fifth embodiment includes a wireless communication interface 14, an application control unit 15, an application determination unit 16, an application information notification unit 17, a device information exchange control unit 18, and a connection information management unit 19.

  The wireless communication interface 14 is an interface for transmitting / receiving a wireless signal to / from the AP 1. That is, data generated by the application information notification unit 17 and the device information exchange control unit 18 is transmitted to the AP 1 as a radio signal. In addition, data is generated from the radio signal received from the AP 1 and notified to the device information exchange control unit 18 and the like. Furthermore, the wireless communication interface 11 receives a beacon signal transmitted from the AP 1 at predetermined time intervals.

  The application control unit 15 executes an application that requires wireless communication with the AP 1. For example, an application for streaming reproduction of video data from a content server or the like is applicable. The application determination unit 16 determines the real-time property of wireless communication required for the application executed by the application control unit 15. The application information notification unit 17 notifies the determination result of the application determination unit 16 to the AP1. Specifically, when an application that requires real-time wireless communication is started, an application execution notification is transmitted to AP1. On the other hand, when the application executed by the application control unit 15 is terminated, an application termination notification is transmitted to AP1.

  The device information exchange control unit 18 exchanges device information with the AP 1. That is, the device information exchange control unit 18 transmits the device information of STA2 to AP1 and acquires the device information of AP1. The connection information management unit 19 holds information (key information and the like) necessary for the wireless communication terminal to perform wireless communication with the AP 1.

  The AP 1 that has received the application execution notification from the STA 2 uses the 5 GHz band for wireless communication with the STA 2 and uses the 2.4 GHz band for wireless communication with other STAs 3 to 5 to which SSIDs different from the STA 2 are assigned. To do. On the other hand, the AP 1 that has received the application end notification from the STA 2 restores the frequency band switched by the application execution notification among the STAs 3 to 5.

  Next, the operation of the STA2 according to the fifth embodiment will be described using the flowchart of FIG. In the fifth embodiment, it is assumed that STA2 has executed VoD. The state connected to AP1 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the communication terminal information shown in FIG. 13 is stored in the communication terminal management unit 9 of AP1.

  The application determination unit 16 of the STA2 determines whether or not an application that requires high real-time property for wireless communication (for example, moving image viewing using VoD or DLNA) is being executed (S601).

  When the application determination unit 16 determines that high real-time performance is necessary (Yes in S601), the application information notification unit 17 transmits an application execution notification to AP1 (S602). This notification method is not particularly limited. For example, it may be included in the IE (Information Elements) of the MAC frame of the wireless LAN, and it goes without saying that the packet may be in the IP layer. It is only necessary to notify AP1 that the application has been executed.

  Next, the operation of AP1 that has received the application execution notification from STA2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the application execution notification is received from the STA 2 (Yes in S701), the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of the AP 1 determines whether this communication is being performed in the 5 GHz band (S702).

  If it is the 5 GHz band (Yes in S702), the communication terminal status determination unit 6 of AP1 sets the frequency band to “5 GHz band for STAs 3 and 4 other than STA2 from the communication terminal information of the communication terminal management unit 9. To the “2.4 GHz band” to the frequency control unit 8. Although the frequency band is specified here, the channel may be arbitrarily determined. For example, a vacant channel may be specified, or a channel in which an already connected STA 5 exists may be used.

  In the case of the fifth embodiment, specifically, for the communication terminal information of STAs 3 and 4 that are currently performing wireless communication using the 5 GHz band and assigned an SSID different from STA2, SSID-B, SSID The band corresponding to −C is switched from “5 GHz band” to “2.4 GHz band”.

  When the band corresponding to SSID-B and SSID-C is changed, STAs 3 and 4 cannot receive a beacon signal including their own SSID in the 5 GHz band, and thus start roaming. When roaming is performed, since a beacon signal including its own SSID can be detected in the 2.4 GHz band, the STAs 3 and 4 are reconnected to the AP 1 in the 2.4 GHz band.

  Next, in order to explain the operation after S204, it is assumed that the STA 3 that has moved to the 2.4 GHz band has executed an application that requires high real-time performance for wireless communication.

  The communication terminal status determination unit 6 receives an application execution notification from the STA 3 (S701). Since STA3 operates in the 2.4 GHz band, it is determined in S702 that it is in the 2.4 GHz band (No in S702).

  Next, 5 GHz Flg of STA3 is confirmed and it is confirmed whether it is connected in a 5 GHz band (S704). Since STA3 has a history of being connected in the 5 GHz band (Flg is 1), it is determined that it has an element that can be connected to the 5 GHz band (Yes in S704), and the operating frequency assigned to STA3 is “ “2.4 GHz band” is changed to “5 GHz band” (S705). If there is no history of connection of STA3 in the 5 GHz band, it is determined that STA3 does not have an element connected to the 5 GHz band (No in S704), and the operating frequency is not changed.

  In addition, although the fifth embodiment has been described based on the first embodiment, the operation after receiving the application execution notification from the STA 2 can be replaced with the second embodiment.

  Further, in the fifth embodiment, when the execution of the application is ended, the STA2 transmits an application end notification to the AP1. The AP 1 that has received the application end notification may return the operating frequency of the STAs 3 and 4 whose operating frequencies have been switched when the previous application start notification has been received from the “2.4 GHz band” to the “5 GHz band”.

  By adopting the above method, it is possible to switch the operating frequency at an appropriate timing in conjunction with an application that requires high real-time performance for wireless communication.

(Other variations)
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The following cases are also included in the present invention.

  Specifically, each of the above devices is a computer system including a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, a hard disk unit, a display unit, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. A computer program is stored in the RAM or the hard disk unit. Each device achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program. Here, the computer program is configured by combining a plurality of instruction codes indicating instructions for the computer in order to achieve a predetermined function.

  Part or all of the constituent elements constituting each of the above-described devices may be configured by one system LSI (Large Scale Integration). The system LSI is a super multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating a plurality of components on one chip, and specifically, a computer system including a microprocessor, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. . A computer program is stored in the RAM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program.

  Some or all of the constituent elements constituting each of the above devices may be configured as an IC card or a single module that can be attached to and detached from each device. The IC card or module is a computer system that includes a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and the like. The IC card or the module may include the super multifunctional LSI described above. The IC card or the module achieves its function by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program. This IC card or this module may have tamper resistance.

  The present invention may be the method described above. In addition, the present invention may be a computer program that realizes these methods by a computer, or may be a digital signal composed of a computer program.

  The present invention also relates to a computer-readable recording medium capable of reading a computer program or a digital signal, such as a flexible disk, hard disk, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, BD (Blu-ray Disc), It may be recorded in a semiconductor memory or the like. Further, it may be a digital signal recorded on these recording media.

  In the present invention, a computer program or a digital signal may be transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network represented by the Internet, data broadcasting, or the like.

  The present invention may also be a computer system including a microprocessor and a memory, the memory storing the computer program, and the microprocessor operating according to the computer program.

  Further, the program or digital signal may be recorded on a recording medium and transferred, or the program or digital signal may be transferred via a network or the like, and may be executed by another independent computer system.

  You may combine the said embodiment and the said modification, respectively.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

  The access point terminal and the wireless communication terminal according to the present invention are useful in a wireless LAN network that switches operating frequencies depending on applications.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Access point terminal 2,3,4,5 Wireless communication terminal 6 Communication terminal status judgment part 7 SSID issue management part 8 Frequency control part 9 Communication terminal management part 10, 18 Equipment information exchange control part 11, 14 Wireless communication interface 12 Connection Information distribution unit 13, 19 Connection information management unit 15 Application control unit 16 Application determination unit 17 Application information notification unit

Claims (7)

An access point terminal that performs wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal,
A wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals;
A device information acquisition unit for acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface;
Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated by the corresponding frequency information acquired by the device information acquisition unit and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is set as the wireless communication interface. A connection information distribution unit for distributing to the wireless communication terminal through,
The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. Send it to your device,
The device information acquisition unit acquires, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmitting each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the wireless communication interface.
Access point terminal. The wireless communication interface further measures the magnitude of received power of each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received from the wireless communication terminal;
The access point terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the connection information distribution unit selects a frequency band having the maximum received power measured by the wireless communication interface from the one or more frequency bands indicated by the corresponding frequency information. . The wireless communication interface further measures an interference state for each frequency band,
The connection information distributing section, said one of said one or more frequency band indicated in the corresponding frequency information, the wireless communication interface in the measured interference state selects a frequency band lower than a predetermined threshold value according to claim 1 or 2. The access point terminal according to 2. A wireless communication system composed of an access point terminal and a wireless communication terminal,
The access point terminal is
A first wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals;
A device information acquisition unit that acquires corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication, through the first wireless communication interface;
Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information acquired by the device information acquisition unit and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is set as the first information. A connection information distribution unit for distributing to the wireless communication terminal through a wireless communication interface;
The wireless communication terminal is
A second wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals;
A device information exchange control unit that transmits the corresponding frequency information to the access point terminal through the second wireless communication interface and receives the connection information from the access point terminal through the second wireless communication interface ;
The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. Send it to your device,
The device information acquisition unit of the access point terminal acquires, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmission of each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the first wireless communication interface. Wireless communication system. A wireless communication method in which an access point terminal having a wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals performs wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal,
A device information acquisition step of acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface;
Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information acquired in the device information acquisition step and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is set as the wireless communication interface. look including the connection information distribution step of distributing to the wireless communication terminal via,
The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. Send it to your device,
In the device information acquisition step, a wireless communication method for acquiring, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmitting each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the wireless communication interface . A program for causing a computer having a wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to perform wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal,
A device information acquisition step of acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface;
Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated in the corresponding frequency information acquired in the device information acquisition step and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is set as the wireless communication interface. A connection information distribution step of distributing to the wireless communication terminal through the computer ,
The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. Send it to your device,
In the device information acquisition step, a program for acquiring, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmitting each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the wireless communication interface . An integrated circuit that performs wireless communication with a wireless communication terminal,
A wireless communication interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals;
A device information acquisition unit for acquiring corresponding frequency information for specifying one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication through the wireless communication interface;
Connection information for selecting one of the one or more frequency bands indicated by the corresponding frequency information acquired by the device information acquisition unit and performing wireless communication in the selected frequency band is set as the wireless communication interface. A connection information distribution unit for distributing to the wireless communication terminal through ,
The wireless communication terminal transmits a wireless communication start request signal for requesting the access point terminal to start wireless communication using each of the one or more frequency bands in which the wireless communication terminal can perform wireless communication. Send it to your device,
The device information acquisition unit is an integrated circuit that acquires, as the corresponding frequency information, a frequency band used for transmitting each of the one or more wireless communication start request signals received through the wireless communication interface .

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